Kathy Murillo

Equilibrio Painting on linnen canvas, mixed media Scare Crowd, Sculpture, mixed media

This installation is exploring a deeper and personal feeling related to the justice system of The Netherlands and my own personal experience confronting the trauma of post sexual assault. The installation consist of a wooden wall taken from the house where I suffer the assault. The wall is intertwined and put together in a way to capture how it's being distorted. Using the inside of the wooden wall as a metaphor to my own inner struggle, you can see post notes of 'Call the police,' reflecting the emotional weight of taking that step. A gavel fused with a flesh hammer and an old telephone symbolize the prolonged cycle of dismissal, questioning how long justice remains out of reach also its placed on the inside of the wall as a metaphor for how I kept the dismissal to myself, while the paintings embody the shifting mental state throughout this process.

In my artwork, I challenge mortgage disparities by combining a brick with tampons. This unconventional pairing exposes the unseen barriers that deny homeownership dreams and unequal payments burdens. Through my art, I aim to spark conversations, inspire change, and advocate for a fairer housing and equally payment system towards any gender.

Theater Rotterdam In this performance, the artist immerses themselves in the creation of a sculpture/object while limiting all their senses: they do not touch, smell, hear, or see during the process. The central question is whether it is possible to create something without apparent meaning and, therefore, whether art is truly being generated. "This time, I wondered: Am I capable of creating something without any meaning or emotion? Am I even making art? In this project, I restrict all my senses. I did something without touching it, smelling it, hearing it, or seeing it. I asked people around me to collect objects that meant nothing to them. It took me a few days until I saw this sculpture for the first time, and, at that moment, it made sense. That feeling confronted me with thoughts about the impossibility of creating without any meaning."

“La fragilidad es el poder de la fortaleza.” —K In this sculpture, the artist uses materials as if they were words to craft a visual poem, where fragility and tension are displayed in an empowered way, resembling a bow with an arrow or a structure that maintains its balance in an unconventional and challenging manner. The balance achieved defies standard expectations, reflecting a deeper resilience. The painting in the background establishes a visual connection to the sculpture, unified by their shared structural themes. This connection extends metaphorically to mental health, symbolizing the unexpected challenges and the need for balance amidst life’s changes. The sculpture celebrates the resilience and inner strength necessary to uphold mental stability and serves as a reminder of the empowerment that comes from embracing and overcoming life's unpredictable nature.

In this work I reimagine The Birth of Venus through my own lens and experience in the world as a woman, highlighting more the constraints and suffering women collectively experience throughout history.

In this artwork, the artist exposes the exploitation of less privileged individuals by those in positions of privilege for personal gain. The piece challenges societal power dynamics, prompting viewers to reflect on their role in dismantling inequality.

In this artwork, I engage in an unusual reconstruction, departing from its original function and acquiring a new purpose beyond convention. Through this transformation, the sentiment of displacement is explored, which arises when we don't feel fully integrated within a group or community. The reconstructed chair symbolizes this feeling of displacement by disregarding its previous function and assuming new forms. It prompts us to question the ties that bind us to the communities we feel we belong to. In this piece, I propose the idea that our identity and sense of belonging are dynamic, capable of transformation and evolution. Emphasizing that the sense of belonging can be temporary and subject to changes, and that these changes are often necessary for personal growth. A chair is a fitting symbol because it represents a place we can claim as our own, and it is a common object in homes where the sense of belonging begins. By consciously reassembling the chair differently than its original form, it parallels how we reconstruct our lives after displacement.

Painting that mysteriously explores the concept of the perception of my inner self from different perspectives outside of my own self. In this abstract self-portrait, I invite the viewer to go beyond the confines of ordinary vision, and to encounter their own gaze.

This work explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and the passing of time. I use symbolic elements like wheels, colored pencils, wood, and a passport seat to reflect on my personal experiences, cultural influences, and how external voices shape my sense of self. Through this artwork, I raise questions about the merging of memories, imagination, and reality, and contemplate how identity evolves over the span of ten years.

This artwork delves into the critique of the justice system in cases of sexual aggressions, departing from a personal experience with the justice system of The Netherlands. Through symbols such as the altar of justice, I make the statement of how unacceptable it is for justice to sacrifice survivors in sake of justice. The swinging of the gavel 4 times an hour and the printing of 8 or 9 denunciations a day highlight how often these crimes occur and how they are dismissed based on facts of 2021 and 2022.

The artist created this artwork during a challenging period when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Growing up in a Catholic household, she had always questioned religion from an early age. In this difficult moment, she crafted a symbolic non-binary goddess as a form of worship, hoping to invoke its power to aid in her mother's recovery. The goddess serves as a deeply moving reflection of the artist's relationship with her mother, symbolizing the profound connection and shared experiences between them.

Migrant person moving between different realities. Through this work, the viewer becomes a witness of the path contemplating the loss, hopes and doors to different realities. This painting was inspired by my journey through life, and Suzanna Perlman's anecdotes.